Fallen Angel (8 page)

Finally after it felt like he had ridden in a thousand circles he stopped. The rain was still falling but he didn’
t feel as if he was being pelted by it. The lightning and thunder weren’t occurring at the same time now. It seemed the storm was moving past.

“Looks like the worst has past.” Luke looked for the sound of the voice and saw James astride his horse not far away.

“Yeah this one has just about blown it’s self out.” Tom said from his other side.  They continued to keep a close eye on the herd but there wasn’t as much to be concerned about now the thunder was growing quieter.

“Boss!” The urgency in James’ voice caused him to turn in the saddle.
James pointed at the horizon toward the west. There was an eerie orange glow. “That has to be the house.”

“Damn, James with me, Tom keep the herd” Luke yelled even as he urged Blaze into a full gallop. He knew running the horse in the dark after the storm they just had was a stupid thing to do but he didn’t have a choice. Ella and Angie were still there, he had to make sure they were both safe. He trusted Blaze to know the terrain and navigate the obstacles that
the storm might have churned up so he let him have his head. They had to ford a flooded gully but that was the only thing that caused him to slow.  When they pounded into the yard they found the barn with one section of the roof ablaze. Ella was standing in the yard ringing her hands. He pulled Blaze up and slid to the ground in one fluid motion.

“Luke.” Ella ran toward him frantically. “Angel, went back in there! I couldn’t stop her.”
Luke frowned and looked at the barn.

“Is she after the animals?”

“No she already got them out, they are in the corral.”

“Stay with her,” he said to James who had dismounted right behind him then ran though the door way into the barn. He looked around thinking she mus
t be after another animal. He didn’t see any sign of her or any animals but he could smell the smoke in the air.

“Angie,” he yelled, “Where are you?”

“I’m up here.” He still couldn’t see her but he could hear her. It sounded like she was above his head. He grabbed the ladder and hoisted himself up into the loft. The smoke was significantly thicker up here. He looked toward the end and saw the flames. That’s when he saw Angie as well. She was battling back the flames with a blanket.

“What the hell are you doing? Just leave it and get out of here.”

“No, it’s still small, I can put it out.” He grabbed her arm and turned her around.

“Angie are you crazy? It’s not worth your life. Let’s go!” He pulled her toward the ladder but she jerked her arm out of his grasp.

“No.”

“I don’t want to have to carry you out of here but I will. You are under my protection and I will not let you risk your life for a building.” He roared.

“Luke think about it, if the barn goes it will take the bunk house with it for sure. Maybe the house too. You want to just sit here and do nothing?” She yelled back at him.

“There is nothing we can do, it’s not like we can form a bucket brigade.”

“If we can fight from the inside, keep it from the hay, the rain will help us on the outside.”

“Angie a blanket isn’t going to keep that hay from going up and when it does you’
re a sitting duck up here.”

“
We’ll haul up buckets through that window with a rope.” She pointed at the opening at the end of the barn. He looked at it then her.

“Fine go get buckets.” He barked.

“Why don’t you go get buckets?”

“Because I am stronger than you and I can haul them up. And because I said so
! Now move!” He yelled. She wanted to argue with him but she knew he was right. She climbed down the ladder as quickly as she could and grabbed the water buckets out of the stalls and ran out to where Ella and James were still standing. She quickly explained what she wanted them to do then turned and ran back into the barn.

“What are you doing?” Luke said when he saw her back up.

“You can’t do it by yourself.”  He growled and threw one end of a rope out the opening. He had secured the other end to a beam so he didn’t have to worry about losing it. A moment later he felt a tug and carefully hauled it back up again. He set the bucket on the floor and untied the rope from the handle then threw the rope out again. He watched Angie pick up the bucket and carry to the fire and throw it on then run it back.

“Throw it where the fire is spreading to, maybe we can cut it off.” She nodded then coughed. When he hauled the next bucket up he dunked his bandanna in it and tied it around her nose and mouth, then let her take the bucket. 

As they continued the procedure he was sure it was a losing battle, it didn’t seem like they were making any progress against the fire. Then he realized the fire wasn’t progressing either. Shortly after he realized that he saw it begin to shrink until finally he couldn’t see any flames at all only smoke. 

“Can you see any flames from down there?” He called to James.

“No, looks like it’s out.” He called back.  Angie dropped her bucket and sank down to her knees with a sigh, he sat as well and watched as she pulled the bandana away there was a clear line on her face where the upper half was covered in smoke and soot and the lower half wasn’t.  He wanted to laugh but he just couldn’t summon the energy.  She began to cough and his attention focused. 

“Come on let’s get you out in the fresh air.” He stood offering her hand she took it and he pulled her too her feet not releasing her as he led her toward the ladder.

“See I knew we could do it.” She said her voice was hoarse and raspy.  He stopped and turned and looked at her.

“You are a stubborn woman.” He said forcefully. “Yes we got the fire out, it only would have taken one spark in there,” he pointed at the bales stacked beside them. “And there would have been no way out.” She met his gaze squarely.

“We saved the barn.” She rasped.

“Buildings can be replaced, people can’t. I swear Angie, if you ever do anything like this again I’ll… I’ll throttle you.” He said angrily. She couldn’t help it his choice of words made her giggle.  “Don’t laugh, I am serious.”

“You’re threatening to hurt me if I do something that might get me hurt.” She said and laughed again. He couldn’t believe she was laughing, she could have been killed and she was laughing. He wanted to throttle her now. He grabbed ahold of her other arm intending to pull her close enough so that she could see the seriousness in his eyes.  But when he pulled her closer he didn’t stop. He pulled her against him and kissed her.  She felt good her lips were soft and warm and he felt sudden desire surge through him. He released her, shocked by his own actions. He waited for her to slap him. He knew he deserved it but she didn’t she just stared at him. He flushed embarrassed by his lack of restraint and thankful for the dim light so she couldn’t see it.

“Come on.” He said gruffly pulling her toward the ladder again. He stopped at the top and motioned for her to go first.  She started down the ladder and he closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. He had no idea what had come over him.

Angelica wobbled a little on her feet. She didn’t feel very steady, her heart was pounding. She tried to take a deep breath to calm her nerves but it sent searing pain though her chest and she began to cough.

“Are you alright?” Concern etched Luke’s brow and she nodded even as she continued to cough. “Come on let’s get you away from the smoke.” He put his hand on her lower back and gently pushed her out the door.  The air out side was cool and crisp and it felt good on her burning chest. She tried to force herself to stop coughing and just breathe but it only seemed to make it worse.

“Come on dear, let’s get you some tea for that cough.” Ella said wrapping her arm around her waist.

“No, I need to check on Ice.”

“I’ll check on her, you go with Ella.” Luke said forcefully. She wanted to argue with him but the coughing made it difficult so she relented and let Ella lead her into the house.

“Here you are dear.” Ella said placing a steaming cup in front of her on the table. Angelica was surprised it didn’t seem like enough time had passed for the water to boil. She took a swallow and tried to keep her nose from wrinkling as she forced the bitter liquid down her throat.  She really didn’t like the taste but she didn’t want to be rude. She placed the cup back on the table as she began to cough again. She closed her eyes concentrating on taking very shallow breaths to keep from coughing.

“That was a very brave thing you did.” Ella said quietly sitting in the chair beside her.

“Luke didn’t think so.” Angelica said softly.  She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward to rest
her head on them.

“
Luke is a complicated man.”

“Mm-hmm.” Angelica sighed not lifting her head.
Suddenly Angelica jerked herself upright.  “Thank you for the tea.” She turned and walked back out the door. She wasn’t sure why but she suddenly felt driven to go and check on Ice. She rubbed her eyes as she walked, they were burning, her throat was burning but she needed to check on Ice.  She had her head down as she rubbed her watering eyes and walked headlong into something hard.

“Whoa, are you alright?” James caught her shoulders to steady her.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching.”

“No problem.”  He released her shoulders and she blinked trying to get her eyes to clear.

“I just wanted to check on Ice.” She started to step around him toward the corral.

“Luke just took her back to the barn.” Angelica changed course and turned
toward the barn instead.

“I’ll do that.” She said when she found Luke feeding Ice. Luke looked at her for a long moment, her hair was falling in strings around her face and she was still covered in soot. He thought about telling her not to worry about it, he could handle it but he knew she would argue with him. He didn’t trust himself, strange things happened to him when he argued with her. So he simply stood and handed her the bottle as he passed by her out of the stall and then out of the barn.
Angelica watched him go then sank down into the straw. She could barely keep her eyes open, she felt tired all the way to her bones. Her arms were aching from the water buckets. She held the bottle until Ice finished then she slumped over where she was sitting and promptly fell asleep.

Luke stood watching her sleep as dawn light crept through the barn. She still looked as disheveled as the night before but she was so beautiful. Everything about this situation felt surreal. She had appeared out of nowhere, he had no idea who she was and yet she stirred something in him he had never experienced before. She was so unlike any woman he had ever known.  She had risked her life to save the animals and then the barn, his barn a place she had no stake in. He had kissed her, the idea seemed unfathomable and yet he could still feel the way her lips had felt under his.

She began to stir as he watched he
r. At first she was only slightly stirring then she began to thrash and all at once she sat up and let out a piercing scream. Luke jerked open the stall door and dropped to his knees in front of her. He gently grasped her shoulders.

“Angie, are you alright?”

“So much blood,” She breathed frantically rubbing her hands over her arms and legs as if she were trying to wipe it off. “Why is there so much blood? Whose blood is this?” She squirmed still trying wipe invisible blood off her hands and arms. Luke gave her shoulders a quick shake.

“Angie, what are you talking about? There is no blood.” She looked up and her eyes focused on him.

“Luke.” She said, her voice barely a whisper then she threw her arms around his neck. He could feel her heart pounding, she was nearly shaking. Whatever she had seen in her nightmare had terrified her. As he felt her breathing coming in short gasps he was left to wonder if the nightmare was something her mind had conjured or something she had experienced.

“Boss?” Luke looked over his shoulder at the sound of Tom’s voice and saw every man in his employ, with
the exception of those on duty with the herd, standing outside the stall. Obviously Angie’s scream had brought them all in.

“She had a nightmare.”  He said softly. Tom nodded and motioned to the other men and they turned and shuffled back out. Angie hadn’t lifted her head from where her face was pressed into his chest so he didn’t move either. She wasn’t speaking or squirming anymore and he could feel her heart rate starting to slow. He held her tightly against him, she smelled like a mixture of smoke and soap.

“Are you okay?” He asked when she hadn’t spoken for a long time. She didn’t answer, finally he pulled away enough to look at her face, her eyes were closed, and she was sleeping. He gently laid her back in the straw wondering if she had ever really woken.

Angelica stepped out into the warm sun and felt like a new person.  Her muscles were sore but a bath had washed way the dirt, soot and smoke smell and she felt one hundred percent better.  She could hear hammering so she followed the sound and found Luke and Tom patching the hole in the barn roof. The sight of Luke on top of the steeply pitched roof made her breath catch. It was all she could do not to yell at him to get down, or at least to be careful. The last thing she wanted to do was distract him so she said nothing, she just stood there rooted to the spot watching with bated breath until he finally finished and climbed down.